Abandoned
by Ben and Jerry's Icecream Cone
Summary: The derelict house in Trollshaw was not always so empty. " A farmer and his family lived here once" Gandalf pointed out ... Thorin and company pass through on their way to Erebor and meet the girl who used to live there. Eventual Thorin x OC Adventure, Romance
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first attempt at a Hobbit story. I hope you'll enjoy it. The story idea came to me and the shower and would not let me sleep until I wrote it down.**

**I have tried to be as accurate as possible without stealing too much of Tolkiens' work. I have a map up and the hobbit up in a separate tab and loads of Hobbit information. It will probably be movie and book based.**

**Disclaimer****: All recognized characters/ scenes/ quotes do not belong to me, I am just borrowing them! The OC/ plot only belongs to me. :)**

Chapter 1

_The rhythmic, soft thump woke me from a deep slumber. I squinted in the darkness of the night, seeing nothing in front of me; the only source of light in the pitch black came from the stars that shone proudly through the glass pane. The thumping continued and I rose from the warmth of my blankets, my feet finding the boots I stored beside my bedroll at the end of every day. The fire in the hearth had long since gone out and the air was chilly._

_I felt my way across the room as the thumping continued, slowly getting louder. I kept my fingers on the surface of the walls I knew so well, as I struggled in the darkness to find the source of the sound. I was silent, not wanting to wake my parents whom were sleeping not far from my own room. Opening the large wooden door, I peered out into the darkness, the moon now lighting my way. It was the winter months and the wind blew slightly, chilling me and I wrapped my arms around me. I followed the noise, wary and with no means of protecting myself I kept myself hidden in the trees as the thumping got louder now- much closer than before._

_I stumbled back from the noise, my back now pressed against a small tree. Large, wide shadows emerged from the trees and I slammed a hand over my mouth to stop noise coming out. I felt like screaming. My breath was coming out hard and my eyes widened as I saw their path; the building I had been in not long before. _

_I wanted to run. I wanted to run to my parents, and I wanted to run in the opposite direction. I was terrified and I knew what would happen before it had even begun. The gruesome stories had long been told, of trolls eating human flesh, of trolls crushing bones and sitting upon you, a story often told to stop young children wondering the forest alone. _

_It was a story that was coming true before my very eyes. I could hear nothing as the trolls destroyed through the wood my home was made from, kicking the wood and searching through it for the meal they desired. Human flesh._

_I watched as they sat around the devastated building that used to be my home as though it were a camp fire and tore my parents to pieces before they could made a sound. _

_My legs unfroze and I turned and ran into the safety of the forest. _

I blinked. My body was tense and poised against the floor; waiting for the small, scrawny rabbit an arms-length away from me to turn its back and let down its guard. I had been in this position since long before dawn, knowing that rabbits and other small game eventually come here to eat. In one hand I clutched a dagger, one of the very few items I owned. Its sharp edge gleamed at the sun rose over the tall trees and the rabbit looked up before scampering away out of sight. I rose quickly from the ground and I stood up scanning the greenery around me. My brows came down in anger and I cursed myself for allowing a possible meal to escape. Kicking a rock closest to me, I began trailing through the forests in disappointment. I hadn't had a bit of meat in over a month. I was hungry. I was more than hungry. The fish I had caught from the river 5 days ago was long gone and I had neither the patience nor the energy to walk the long path west to the nearest river. The rabbit had been the last bit of hope, I was sick of eating leaves that were fit for making remedies and nothing more. I slipped the clean, sharp dagger into my belt and continued onwards.

As I walked back to the rocks I brushed down my dirty tunic, it was one of my only pieces of clothing and its age was showing. The edges were fraying badly and it had far too many holes to protect me against the upcoming winters. My breeches were not faring much better, now very discoloured after years of use and stained in places. Since I only owned a few pieces of clothing, these were worn almost constantly, only taken off for a quick wash in the river Hoarwell when was vitally necessary.

The sun was bearing down through the thick trees, hitting only small spots on the floor of the forest, I pushed my way through the familiar pathways of the forest- I had been through here almost every day since _then,_ coming for food or water or plants. I stopped to bend down some herbs, _athelas_, not for eating but a very useful herb for healing cuts and wounds, cuts were very common when walking through thick and unforgiving forests. I sniffed it and its sweet smell made me smile slightly. I was glad for it, I didn't have much but I was glad to be close to Rivendell as herbs thrived here.

I sniffed as I thought of Rivendell. My father had commented on many aspects of the races of middle earth, drilling in to me how many races didn't like other races. Dwarves hated Elves, Elves of Mirkwood didn't like Men, and Elves also disliked Elves. Most were untrusting of other kingdoms. We had stayed well away from others, of our own race and of other races. My parents loved the solitude of a dwelling in the forests. I hadn't minded either- I had loved being able to wonder and having freedom and of having no king to answer too.

I walked the familiar path to the place I now called home. It wasn't cosy, and it didn't smell nice but it kept me dry and I felt safe. I walked into the small cave and set down my belt that kept the dagger and the herbs I had picked up. I picked up the water skin and took a generous gulp of water before scolding myself and putting it down. It was more than half a day's walk to the Hoarwell River and if I ran out of water I would suffer. I knew I would need to venture there in the morrow for water and an attempt at fishing but that didn't mean I would be allowed to be greedy. I sat on the home- made bed roll, it was really just dried grass and leaves and the few blankets I had managed to save from my home, and began to crunch my way through the last of the roots and leaves I had. I smirked. It was hard to imagine that some people were just able to go into a stall and there was everything one could need. I couldn't imagine just going to a market and purchasing something with gold- it was never part of my life, my father had always hunted or grown or whatever we might have needed.

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I woke just before dawn, as I usually did and stayed lying there as the harsh orange sun began its descent into the sky; it showed through the cave entrance and pierced the darkness. I had planned on journeying to the river today in hope of catching some fish, and needed the light to be able to navigate the forests. In spite on the bright sun, it was a chilly morn and I buried myself deep into the blankets I was able to scavenge from the wreckage of my old abode.

After the herd of trolls had been and destroyed everything I knew, I had stayed away for months unable to face going looking back at such an eventful night. I had tried venturing towards the house many times before giving into my fear and retreating back into the safety of the trees. Eventually the air was too cold and I had to find some sort of warmth and my desperation had brought be back to the house, most items had been crushed to dust by trolls, items I had used daily were barely recognisable but I was able to find some blankets and a fur coverlet. I also was able to find a few pieces of clothing, although most had been damaged by the winter weather. Any food their might have been was now soiled and unrecognizable.

The items I had been able to use were quickly put into the bag I had once used for foraging. The most invaluable item I was able to find was a dagger my father had owned; it had been buried deep under the roof of our home, in what I presumed to be the kitchen area. The silver blade was simple and the hilt was ivory, it would come to be the most useful tool and would enable my survival over the coming years.

It was getting colder, I was sure of it. Before even stepping out of the small cave entrance I could see the fog of my breath and my fingers were tingling. I put on every item of clothing I owned, fighting against the bitter weather. The two tunics fitted on top of each other easily and the leather jacket I wore so often was tied with my belt around my waist. My breeches were tucked into the brown boots I wore. The dagger was protruding from the belt and the little pocket was full of _athelas _leaves. I grabbed my two water skins and looked around once more, before leaving the safety of the cave.

The walk to the water's edge took me till noon time, the sun was high in the sky and it was warmer now. The water, however, was freezing cold as I dipped my hands in to rid them of the weeks' worth of dirt. I poured the remains of the water from the water skin and filled it with fresh water. I washed my face, bringing the cold water to my skin. In water this cold, dared not wash my hair so I braided it back out of the way behind my head, tying it was a small strip of rag off my tunic.

Although I enjoyed being close to the river, it was loud and I felt uneasy being out of the safety of the trees. I could see the sky clearly, meaning that I was unprotected and I could also be easily seen. It was a necessary evil for survival though and I stood up and looked over the edge of the bank- it was relatively still water- a gentle stream today which meant it should be easy to catch a small fish or two.

For hours I peered into the water, occasional fish wandered by and when they did I clasped my dagger harder and plunged it into the frigidly cold river. I usually missed, the fish getting the better of me and swimming away much too quickly so I couldn't contain the smile that was upon my face when the dagger caught some soft and wriggly. The fish was not bigger than my hand, but it was certainly better than nothing and I looked forward to cooking it later. The cooking part, I was not looking forward too. Lighting a fire was always risky, and I did it only on rare occasions when I killed fish or game. I put the fish away in the pouch on my belt after wrapping it in a small rag and picked up my water skins and began heading back through the trees. It was now after- noon time and birds sung as they headed to the safety of their own nests.

I was almost home, and began picking up wood I would be able to use for fire stacking them in my arms, when I heard a noise. I stood up quick and my hand automatically went to the hilt on my dagger, unsheathing it and holding it and chest height in front of me. I crept closer to a tree and listened out. Now, after 6 years of residing in the forest, I had grown used to noises such as birds and trees and rivers and anything else was out of the ordinary and strange and I didn't like it.

This noise in particular was one I hadn't heard in a while; in over six winters to be exact.

**Voices.**

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**I would really appreciate reviews, I will only continue this story if I am sure that at least one person is reading it. Reviews will make me write faster! CC is also welcome. **


	2. Chapter 2

**This is a much shorter chapter. I really wanted to get this one up quickly. I have almost finished writing the third, and will be onto the fourth pretty soon. These chapters are sort of background info.**

**Found it really difficult to do Thorins POV, I am not sure if I got him right at all. I won't be doing Thorin's POV very often. **

**Please review!**

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Thorin's POV

We had been travelling for weeks, and for once I was thankful for the Company of the friends and family. The chatter was endless behind me as we continued on our small ponies east-bound. We had stopped and ate and slept in the most uncomfortable of places, with stones digging into our backs and wind in our faces. I was glad we were riding on horseback and not walking, walking was much slower and I doubted if we were walking we would have gotten to Erebor on time for Durin's day.

The chatter continued behind me, something about a lost handkerchief, but I continued on without commenting and almost smiled when Dwalin replied that we would be doing without a lot of things on our adventure. Indeed, we would be doing without comfort for the next months or so.

The comfort of the shire was now long behind us, and so were the most pleasant of people wishing us a merry way. The journey ahead was full of hills and abandoned castles where the weather would probably we as unwelcoming as the people.

Even Kili and Fili, the most boisterous of the Company went quiet as the rain lashed upon them, the sun long forgotten and the jesting gone with it. The ponies hobbled along as Gandalf drew upfront stopping in front of me. I looked up at him in questioning.

"We should stop soon, the ponies are tired and your Company are weary. Dinner and a good night's rest is what we all need" Galdalf explained. I nodded in agreement after looking around the 12 dwarfs and at the small hobbit. Bilbo was surprisingly cheerful but the dwarves were looking unhappy, their beards collecting water and their clothing sodden.

"We stop when we find shelter" I called out over the wind. A few of the dwarves nodded and we trotted on. There was a sheltered area not far from the path we were on. I stopped at the edge of a forest and dismounted my pony. "We'll rest here" I said and looked around for Gandalf. He had his chin held high, as if he were looking or listening for something. Everyone was unloading their bed rolls under the trees on the dry ground and untacking their ponies. I made to check the forest out, and patrol the area. There was no one around and I could see no dangers so I was not gone long and when I came back the fire had been set up and upon the fire was a large bowl with some sort of stew inside. I assume that was bomfurs's doing. He enjoyed cooking, you could tell that when you took one look at him- his large frame and pot belly would be his downfall I was sure of it, but he made excellent food.

"Aye, he's back. Thorin, supper is ready" Nori says as he shoves a warm bowl of stew in my hand and a small slice of bread. I set my axe down and sat on my bedroll. The stew smells good and I eat it silently as the rest of the company groan in appreciation. Bomfur is delighted- he smiles as everyone enjoys his food and digs into his own bowl of stew, which looks to be slightly fuller that my own. It is a good hearty meal after being on the road so long and eating barely anything but bread.

I volunteer to stay up to keep the first watch as the rest of the company settled down. Bilbo is near the fire, keeping warm and safe and surrounded by already snoring dwarves. I tell Fili that I will wake him in a few hours for his watch before he falls asleep. Gandalf had long since wandered off, seeming to be arguing with himself; I left him to his own devices. It is after all, Gandalf.

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Salara POV

The voices are loud, joking and shouting, and someone eventually tells the voices to shut up for better lack of a word. I can smell something and it smells heavenly. I want to walk further towards the smell, my stomach makes noises and I am so hungry, the fish in my belt pouch no longer sounds so appetizing in comparison to what I can smell. I also want to go back to the safety of my cave, where there is no noise and I feel safe. The noises are loud and I turn around, deciding to cook my dinner, I can no longer ignore the pains in my stomach. The voices are probably stragglers wondering through, and they will be gone by the morrow and everything will be back as it was.

I look back as I walk further away; the voices are no longer loud and obnoxious, rather quiet. It is almost… nice to hear the voices of real people again, it has been so long I had almost forgotten what people sounded like, I rarely used my own voice it was unnecessary.

I get back to my cave and drop the wood on the ground, stored the water skins away and began making a fire. I unrolled the fish from the rag and looked at my pathetic catch. It had long since died and the eyes were glazed over, wide and scared. I almost felt sorry that it had to die for me, but I was much too hungry to care as I stabbed the fish with the dagger and brought it over the small fire. I had made the fire inside the cave but as close the entrance as I could, it would be visible if anyone passed by, but not by much.

The fish was small but the small amount filled me up and I chucked the bones out of the cave. I let the fire die out before leaving the cave once more.

It was dark out now, even more so under the trees and I could no longer hear voices. _They must have gone_, I thought as the silence all but echoed in the trees. I could still smell the faint smell of food and I silently walked close to where I was earlier in the day. They might have gone but I did not wanted to alert anyone or anything else that I was here.

As I got close, I could hear noises. I smiled slightly, I had often heard my father make similar noises, the loud, pig like sound coming from his nose. This was much louder and I stepped closer and looked through the trees. There was a small fire burning away, I could make out many figures in the dark. Small figures, almost as small as me, lying on the ground, the noises were coming from a few of them. There were also horses, small horses tied to trees, we had owned a horse once, a small thing used for ploughing, he had been old and had died when I was quite young but I remember my father putting my on his back once and guiding me along the plains.

Near the fire there were bowls and something similar to a pot, there were bags and weapons, large metal weapons help by almost each figure in their sleep. I look around, and spot on one of the horses, a large stick and on the stick there are three small scrawny rabbits, dead and skinned. My mouth watered at the thought of meat and I took two steps towards the horse, it moved its head to look at me wearily but stayed where it was and made no noise. I stayed close to the trees in the dark and was thankful that it was so dark, save for the light from the dying fire. I reached the pony, looking over to the sleeping forms and grasped one of the rabbits. It was tied to the stick so I slipped the dagger silently out of my belt and began cutting away the leather bindings. I stroked the horses flank to keep him calm as I used the dagger. I had almost got it undone, when I felt something cold and sharp against the back of my neck.

I froze, tensed up and turned my head slightly. A gruff voice spoke up, anger evident in the tone.

"Do not move, one step and your head will be on the ground"

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**Reviews makes Thorin Happy! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I would like to thank all of those following/ faving my story. Although there are no reviews yet, these follows are what make me write faster. Stupidly I forgot to save the part of the last chapter I wrote, so I will have to begin again. It should be up some time next week :)**

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Chapter 3

I tensed, and stopped cutting the leather bindings. I turned to move my head to look at the person attached to the weapon but the sharp edge pushed further into my neck, and I stood still. "I repeat, do not move" the voice demanded. There were more voices now, grunting and people waking up.

"I found a… scavenger trying to steal one of our ponies" The voice behind me bellowed, seeming to want to wake up everyone. "Thief" Someone else shouted and I heard someone else walk closer. I wanted to speak out; to tell them I hadn't been trying to steal a Horse, I only wanted one of the skinned rabbits. "Ori, get some rope, I wish to tie his hands." The loud voice ordered behind me, and I felt the weapon lower and a large hand grab at my wrists. I kept hold of the dagger and tried to fight the hands, I didn't want to be tied, as he tied my hands with a rough rope, the dagger was taking from my hands. He pulled me back and pushed me over towards the fire which had gone out. I tripped over but he was strong and kept pulling me back up. I was shoved to the ground, most of the figures were now awake but I couldn't see faces in the darkness. I knew they were quite short, and quite wide and apparently strong.

"What is your business in these parts?" Someone demanded. It was a male whom seemed to do all the talking and was in charge. I struggled to find the words… _I just wanted to eat, I wasn't stealing a Horse_. Nothing came out of my mouth and once again a weapon of some sort was pushed against my neck, harder now that before.

"I wanted the rabbit" I eventually gasped out, I was panicking. I had never been around this many people before, they were everywhere, all around me, all had weapons and I was surrounded.

"It's a wee Lass" someone gasped, and immediately the bindings were gone from my wrists, and the weapon vanished from against my neck.

"Someone light the fire," the man behind me demanded "Quick!" I was still breathing deeply, trying to get air into my lungs. The brightness of the newly lit fire was harsh and I cringed away from it, blinking rapidly. Someone bent down and helped me to stand up. When I opened my eyes fully I could tell the faces of most of these around me, most of a similar height to me, a few were taller. I turned slowly to the person who was still behind me.

"I only wanted a rabbit, I wasn't stealing a horse, I wouldn't…" I trailed off. Everyone was silent and I wanted to tell them I wasn't a thief when I realised I was. I was a thief, I had tried to take something that wasn't mine, even if it was something as small as a dead rabbit.

"You are hungry?" someone questioned to my right. I looked at them and nodded. He looked to be the oldest of the group, with light grey hair. He stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Balin, at your service my lady" I was shocked and my mouth open slightly of its own accord, I had never been _bowed _too before. "We have some stew left over, I am sure we can spare a bowl or two" He looked over to the person who had originally found me as if asking permission.

I dared not look at him, the man who not long ago held something sharp against my neck, with the intention to harm me He must have nodded the affirmative because the man, Balin, walked over to the fire to start preparing some food. I didn't know what to do. Some of the people were staring at me, others were staring at the person behind me, and I imagined him to be the leader of the group.

"Sit down" He pointed to a fallen log and pushed me gently towards it. I sat, as others dispersed, some going back to their bedrolls and some sitting up, talking amongst themselves . There were several of them and I quickly counted fourteen all together; one rather smaller than the rest of them.

The leader sat down on the log also and turned to face me. I still did not dare to look at his face so I settled for looking at my hands on my lap.

"What is your name?" He questioned. It was a simple question, but after not having a real conversation for over 6 years, my voice was croaky and barely anything came out. I tried again.

"Solara Froy" I was almost surprised that anything passed my lips. "I am Thorin Oakenshield," he replied "and this is my Company" He gestured around the area, some nodded in my direction and I nodded back as a general acknowledgment.

His next question startled me. "Why are you here, are you following us?" He demanded. I looked up at him then, his face was stony, guarded and his eyebrows were furrowed. I could see his facial features in the low light of the fire. He had dark, long hair and a large beard. He was large, taller than me. I came to a conclusion that this group of people were dwarves. The height and the beards gave it away once I could see him properly. I had never seen a dwarf before, but I had been told descriptions from both my mother and my father.

"No" I replied. "I live here" _Talk about giving away all your secrets at once, I internally rolled my eyes._

"You live here?" His voice was questioning now, as though he didn't quite understand.

"Not _here, _here" I gestured to the area we were in "I lived in there" I gestured in the direction of the forests. The forest was large, so I wasn't worried about my hiding place being found out, it was small and concealed.

He looked incredulous then, his eyebrows coming right up, and he looked so surprised I almost laughed. "You must be jesting, aye?" He said. "Ye can't live in a forest, especially in these dark times?" His loud voice seemed to have captured some attention and I heard people coming closer. A bowl was placed into my lap by Balin and I looked up and smiled my thanks before digging in. It was what I had smelled earlier and it tasted as good as it smelled.

"The forest you say?" Balin asked. "In these times?" He shook his head and looked at Thorin.

I was too busy scoffing the stew to answer his question, what did he mean dark times? Apart from Trolls and the chilly weather I had seen nothing of these dark times he mentioned.

"Where are your parents, wee lass? You cannit be alone here, surely?" Balin questioned and I swallowed a mouthful of food. "They died" I replied simply. _Murdered, you mean. _ I stuck my chin in the direction of the building. I couldn't see It because it was dark but I could make out the shape, one side barely standing. "That building wasn't always like that- it used to be my home" I revealed. "I have been living in the safety of the forest ever since"

Thorin looked shocked. I handed my now empty bowl to Balin, thanking him and yawned. I stood up. "Are you going to let me leave?" I asked. "I am sorry for trying to steal your food; I shall stay away from now on"

One of the dwarves whom had been listening to the conversation came over. "You cannit leave, it's dangerous out there!"

Thorin looked to him and spoke in his deep voice, in a language I couldn't understand. They seemed to be arguing, words were spoken fast and harsh and I looked back and forth between the two, as Balin was doing, but he seemed to understand, nodding his head sometimes as though he agreed with what one was saying. The smaller dwarf came over. He was much shorter and much quieter than the rest; his small voice was barely able to be heard over the argument.

"Thorin, Kili," The small dwarf interrupted. I was surprised when the argument ceased and they looked at him. He gave his opinion. "I think she should stay" he said.

What did they mean stay? I looked at the small dwarf as he came forward to me. "Bilbo Baggins, My lady" He bowed. Now he was in front of me, I could see he looked nothing like a dwarf. There was no facial hair and no braiding and his hair was short for a dwarf too. He also had no… shoes?

"Solara Froy" I replied. "Why do you have no shoes on?" I asked the question before I even thought about it. My cheeks flamed instantly and I regretted asking at all.

"I am a Hobbit, my lady, and Hobbits do not wear shoes. Our feet are made perfectly for the rough ground." I had never heard of a hobbit before, but it certainly explained why he looked much different from the rest. Kili also came over to introducing himself, bowing low with a smile and his brother, Fili also introduced himself, explaining that he and Kili were brothers, and that they were nephews of Thorin.

"What did you mean, stay?" I asked the leader; Thorin.

He looked at Fili,Kili and Balin and then down at the small hobbit, Bilbo. "You should stay with us, we will be leaving in the morn and we can take you to the next kingdom, Gandalf will know of a safe place for you to go. The forest is not safe" Thorin explained.

I shook my head and backed away from them. "No, no, no. Absolutely not" I said.

"I am here because I want to be. I don't want to live in a kingdom where I am told what to do. I enjoy the peace and quiet and besides, what would I even do in a kingdom? I have no trade and no skills" I ranted. For some reason, I needed them to understand.

"My lady,"One of them began, I don't know who said it because I had turned and walked back into the forest from the way I come. No one followed.

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I woke when the sun was creeping through the clouds. Before I even got outside I could tell it was a dull day. I predicted rain. I sat on my makeshift bed roll, the events from yesterday creeping up on me. I didn't know what to do. I barely knew these men; I didn't know whom they were, what they were doing or where they were going. I shook my head and stood up, leaving the cave and striding quickly towards where the men had laid camp. I sped up and panicked slightly when I heard no noise. Would they have gone, already? I broke through the trees and looked around. Nothing. The fire was out, the bed rolls and the people in then were gone, the ponies were no longer tied to trees and there no laughter or conversation. I stood in the middle of the bare camp, and my heart sank slightly, I didn't know why but I was disappointed. They had wanted to help me, to guide me and I had walked away. I sat down on the fallen log, the same fallen log I had sat upon last night when I was talking to Thorin.

I remembered his face. He hadn't smiled, but at the same time he seemed kind. Balin was also nice, and the little hobbit however small he might have been seemed to have the biggest heart. Fili and Kili seemed to be a bit mischievous, but fun nonetheless. I smiled when I thought of them but my smile dropped when I realised I wouldn't see them again.

Suddenly, my life seemed… empty. It felt boring and repetitive and I didn't want to live like this anymore. I scoffed. I would barely call it living. _More like surviving._

"The Company made bets, to see if you would come back; it seems I made a winning bet" A voice I had come to know pierced through the silence. A smile graced my face and I stood and turned around to voice belonging to Thorin Oakenshield.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guuys, another chapter for you! I am already working on chapter 5 and they should be in Rivendell by chapter 6. Reviews very much appreciated and any questions answered will always be replied to by PM. **

**As usual nothing of Tolkien's work belongs to me, all recognized characters, places and quotes are just being borrowed. **

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Chapter 4

Despite knowing the voice, my hand instinctually reaching for my dagger. I relaxed slightly when I saw the familiar face, holding the very dagger I had been reaching for. He walked closer to me, pulling his pony behind him and handed it to me.

I took it quickly and slipped it into my belt. "Thank you," I said, although I wasn't sure if I was thanking him for returning the dagger or for staying behind and waiting for me. "You bet I would come back?" I asked and he nodded although he didn't say anything else.

"Are you ready to go? Everyone else left hours ago and we are way behind." Although I hadn't fully made up my mind whether I wanted to travel with them, I nodded. If I disliked the kingdoms so much, I could always come back here, back home.

He began tacking his pony up, while I went to retrieve the small amount of belongings I owned. Truth be told I had most of my items on my person already, I had really just wanted to say goodbye to my small homely cave. I grabbed the bag and stuffed the blankets inside along with the water skins. I didn't own a bed roll like the rest of them, but I hoped the blankets would keep me from freezing at night. I was already wearing all the clothes I owned so I slipped the bag over my shoulder and looked around one last time before heading back out.

Thorin was leaning against the side of a tree when I returned, his head to the sky with the tiniest smile on his face. When I came out of the trees he looked towards me and his face returned to its normal stony expression. He mounted his pony and held his hand out to me. I must have looked confused because he was quick to explain. "We do not have any spare ponies, you will have to ride with me until we reach the rest of the Company." I nodded and took his arm and he lifted me easily into the saddle behind him.

He told me to wrap my arms around me as we were to be riding at a fast pace in order to catch up with the rest of the Company. I did so, only just in time before he spurred his pony into a canter.

We rode throughout the day, stopping for a drop of water and a crumb of bread and nothing more. We barely spoke on the journey, he preferred the silence and I preferred the views. My legs and backside ached badly but I bit my lip and refrained from complaining, because something told me that if I complained Thorin might dump me off the back of the pony and ride off without me. We were riding on the edge of the forest, following some non-existent pathway Thorin seemed to know.

Just before the sun set we reached the camp of the rest of the company, who seemed to be as energised as ever. Kili and Fili where seemed to be having a duel of some sort shouting words I didn't understand, Bomfur was setting out pots and pans and bowls and one of the dwarves I had yet to meet had his head buried deeply in a book of some sort. Thorin dismounted easily and went behind me and began unpacking our things. He stopped after a minute and looked at me pointedly; I was still sitting in the saddle.

Whilst the pony was undoubtedly short and quite close to the ground, I had no idea how to get down. The 'over and out' leg movement that Thorin had done in order to get down seemed ridiculous as he was slightly taller than me and had the ponies neck to lean on. Before I could embarrass myself further by asking the grumpy dwarf to help me down, he had grasped my waist and lifted me to the ground with ease before returning to his previous task.

"Thank you" I said quickly before making my way over to the group. I barely heard him grunt in response.

Kili and Fili stopped fighting and came over with large smiles upon their faces. "We knew we would see you again," Fili said and Kili nodded.

There was a tall man who came over with a smile on his face. "Hello my dear," He said "I am Gandalf the Grey," I noticed he held a large stick in his hand, much taller than me and he seemed to be leaning on it quite heavily.

"You were not here before?" I questioned. No one had mentioned him either- did he just turn up whenever he pleased?

"I had gone on a wander," He said with a smile "You can only take so much from Dwarves before you need to rely on more_ intelligent _conversation" He added in a whisper. I could barely contain my laughter.

I had barely spent time in the dwarves company, and while I knew they were not stupid creatures, they seemed to enjoy the little things in life. I had heard the constant chatter of food and pipe weed and ale when I had been in the camp yesterday, and now, as the camp settled down slightly I could hear more talk of food and what was for dinner.

Gandalf removed his large, grey pointy hat and looked up towards the sky. The sky was not visible through the trees so I was surprised when he predicted that it was going to rain.

I moved over to where Bilbo was sitting and he smiled at me. Bilbo, it seemed, was one of the happiest of the group and seemed to be a pleasure to be around, I intended to stay close to him. We were both outsiders after all.

I was still looking over to Gandalf, I wasn't sure who he was or _what _he was, he was certainly tall and he had even predicted the weather, the occasional water droplets where coming through the trees and wetting the ground. I was glad we were under cover because when Gandalf said it would rain, he meant it.

The wind was howling and several of the dwarves had to huddle close to the fire in order to keep the wind from blowing the fire out. Oin, it seemed had gotten a little too close to the fire and screeched when his beard caught alight. Kili and fili could barely contain their laughter as Oin ran about, waving at his beard. I giggled and downright laughed out loud when Kili all but threw his open water skin on Oins face, effectively killing the fire and soaking the dwarf at the same time. Beside me, Bilbo also had a grin on his face. He explained that I should expect some antics from the younger Durin brothers.

Dinner was much the same as yesterday, some sort of lovely stew, again prepared and cooked by Bomfur.

As everyone was setting out their bedroll, it was suggested that myself and Bilbo lie closer to the fire. With the forest open behind us and the open river ahead of us we were quite open and vulnerable. I settled down close to Bilbo, putting my crumbled up and frankly filthy blankets on the floor. I only had 3, and I used them to lie on the uncomfortable ground. I hoped the fire would last the night and keep me warm otherwise I might end up frozen in the morning.

Thorin volunteered to take the first watch, explaining he would wake up Fili in three hours. As I lay down, I watched Thorin go and stand by Gandalf and the quietly began chatting. The dwarves seemed to fall asleep quickly and easily around me as I shifted this way and that. Despite the fire, I was chilly and I had to wrap one of the blankets that were lying underneath me around my legs. I hadn't even dared to take my boots off for fear my feet would fall off.

I finally felt the edges of my vision go fuzzy to the sounds of Thorin and Gandalf's voices and I was barely conscious when I felt someone drape a heavy blanket of some sort onto my body.

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**Reviews make me write faster ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N **

**Hey guys! Here's another chapter- much longer than the rest :)**

**A quick note- I have recently learnt that 'Dwarrow is a more correct term for multiple Dwarves rather than the word 'Dwarves' so I intend to keep on using that from now on, when using Thorins POV- as I do not believe Solara would have learnt this information- please do not become confused. I will hopefully remember to put a reminder at the bottom of every chapter from now on.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5

Thorin POV

I watched the rest of the Company settle down into slumber with ease. I couldn't help feeling a fondness for them, even for the little hobbit whom was now curled tightly into a ball shape with his knees touching his chest. Hobbits slept strangely, unlike the rest of the Company whom slept wherever they fell, a few of them not even on their bedrolls; for they had rolled over into the dirt.

My eyes poured over the people I had come to love like a family and my eyes stopped on the small form closest to the small fire. Unlike everyone else, she had no bedroll. I had remembered when I unpacked our packs from the long journey there was nothing on her pack that resembled something one might sleep on.

A large hand rested upon my shoulder, drawing me out of my thoughts. Gandalf stood close with his pipe in his mouth. "We should go through Rivendell," He said suddenly. Before I could say anything he began speaking again. "It is the fastest way to Erebor, and we can speak to Lord Elrond about the girl" Someone had filled him in on the situation regarding the small girl on their journey this morning.

Gandalf knew how much Dwarves hated Elves, and how much I in particular hated Elves. "What makes you think they'll help her?" I asked as I looked over to her again. She had moved again and I imagined she was having some trouble sleeping. The rough ground must have been terribly uncomfortable.

"Despite what you think Thorin, Elves are generally kind and good natured and they welcome anyone with good intent into their Kingdoms. I know you do not enjoy the company of elves, but I can assure you this visit will be beneficial to your journey" Gandalf explained

I grunted. "Beneficial, how?" I asked but he didn't reply, instead choosing to put his pipe into his mouth and wander off toward the ponies. I sighed. Gandalf was infuriating, he knew so much, but refused to give away information unless vitally necessary.

He was odd too, in all my years of knowing Gandalf; I had never seen him sleep. He seemed to disappear for amounts of time for no apparent reason but I had never seen him rest, I decided it must be a wizard thing and left him to it.

I turned to check on the Company again. My eyes once again settled on the girl, Solara, whom had shuffled around once again. She was much too close to the fire, almost in danger of catching on fire but I could see from here she was shivering slightly, her thin blanket barely covering her legs. I sighed as I walked over to her, weaving in and out of the sleeping dwarrow. I unhooked my heavy coat before draping in over her shivering form. I heard her sigh slightly as I walked away and I could barely contain the small upturn of my lips.

Solara's POV

The next morning, I was all but dragged from the floor, with Thorin explaining that we would be headed to Rivendell and would be there by that night. All we had to do was cross the river, and Thorin continued to explain to us that there should be a shallow crossing not much further north.

Everyone was given jobs to do in order to get us moving quicker. All the dwarves moved with purpose as they strode around the camp. I took the quick opportunity to stroll into the depths of the forest to relieve myself, as I knew there would be little chance to do so later, and if so, it would not be nearly as private as a forest covering.

The camp was packed up by the time I got back to the clearing and the ponies were waiting. Bilbo offered to let me ride with him, but his pony was much too small and I feared I would crush it, so I politely declined and took Fili's offer of letting me ride with him.

I enjoyed sitting in the saddle behind Fili, was much better than the being in the saddle stuck behind Thorin. Fili and Kili were very talkative, asking me questions and telling stories and making jokes. We were at the back of the long line of Dwarves, with Kili behind us on a short black pony. We were riding along the edge of the river, while Gandalf was occasionally dismounting his pony to check the depth of the river with the long wooden stick he obsessively carried.

Not long after noon, we reached the place we were supposed to be crossing at. Thorin went in first, after dismounting his pony and grabbing the reins. The water was by no means still and quiet and my heart was thumping hard as I watched him fight against the current of the river. His horse was difficult to lead, stopping and pulling here and there but eventually he managed to get across, his clothes soaking up to his waist, I quickly noticed the coat he always seemed to wear was nowhere to be seen.

He pulled his pony up onto the dry land, and I could see from the pony's dark coat how deep it was.

Bilbo turned away from the water and came over to me as someone else was entering the water. Bilbo told me each of the names of the dwarves I had yet to speak too.

Balin went next, Bilbo pointed out, and despite being one of the oldest dwarves in the group, he managed it easily and his horse crossed with no problems.

Gloin complained the entire way across, but managed it. Fili and kili managed easily, almost showing off as they all but ran through the rough waters.

Nori and Dori pulled their horses along, whilst Ori, being one of the youngest was told to sit atop his horse whilst walking across the waters. He huffed at those instructions but did as he was told anyways. Bofur held on to his hat just as tightly as his pony as he crossed, almost tumbling into the water at one point as he seemed to lose his footing.

My stomach was in knots thinking about crossing. I was small and the water seemed rough and unforgiving.

When there was only me, Bilbo and Gandalf left on this side of the river, Gandalf suggested Bilbo, being the smallest, stay on top of his pony and that I, being taller and probably heavier; lead him. Gandalf smiled gently at me, and I am sure my face shows how terrified I am as I edged slowly to the water.

The water was cold as I dipped my foot into the water and it flooded into my boots. And when I say cold, I mean _freezing. _It was a good job Bilbo was able to ride through the waters as I am sure he would have frozen by the time we got to Rivendell.

My foot touched the bed of the river and I breathed in sharply as cold water reached my stomach, it was just above my waist. I grabbed the reins off Bilbo the walked forward, keeping my eyes on the water as if looking to see where I was going. It was so odd not being able to see where I was standing and I was glad I was wearing shoes.

I felt the pony's wariness as it slid down the embankment and into the river loudly, and I turned to make sure Bilbo was ok. He smiled slightly but held tightly onto the front of the saddle. I pulled on the rains as I pushed through the waters, trying to feel for where I was standing before I actually put my foot down. The pony Bilbo was on was struggling, his pony being smaller than that of the dwarves pony and I kept a tight hold on the reins as though I would be able to keep the pony above the waters if it fell.

I had gone about 15 steps when I stopped. I tugged on the reins as I realised I couldn't go any further unless the pony walked forward more. He wouldn't. I turned to look at him- the brown eyes staring back at me. I grabbed the reins higher up and closer to the mouth and tugged harder, but all it achieved was pulling the ponies head closer towards me; his feet stayed exactly where they were. Bilbo began nudging the pony's sides with his large hairy feet, a universal movement that I knew made horses move forward, but still he did not. I could feel the water freezing through my clothes as I stood still and I looked other to Thorin desperately.

I don't know what my face looked like, whether I looked scared or cold or whether I was turning blue, but Thorin rushed back into the water with no regard for the temperature and slowly moved towards me. It took him just minutes to get to where we stood and he slowly took the reins from me.

"Go." He said, nodding towards the embankment where the rest of the Dwarves who had crossed were sitting. I nodded and looked at Bilbo whom smiled encouragingly at me. I was in no state to argue as I waded through the currents towards the edge of the river. I was shivering badly now, and as I reached the edge, I grabbed the nearest hand that was held out for me and let it pull me up. I couldn't help but cough harshly when the freezing water left my body.

I turned and watched Thorin with the horse; he had given the reins back to Bilbo, and seemed to be instructing him of what to do. Bilbo nodded and I barely had time to comprehend what was happening before Thorin slapped the pony roughly on its flank and it was coming as fast as it could in the deep waters towards us. Bilbo held on tightly to the reins as the horse galloped up the side of the embankment with no problem and towards the rest of the horses. Bilbo dismounted the pony immediately, just as Thorin was climbing up the embankment.

"Are you ok?" He asked me, before looking at Bilbo. I just nodded, shivering too badly to do anything else. I looked towards the river as I noticed Gandalf coming through the waters, doing so easily and with elegance I would never have been able to pull off. Since he was on a much taller and sturdier horse, he was riding his easily through the river, and the soles of his shoes barely even got damp.

I huffed as I looked down at my sodden clothing. I tried looking of the bright side; at least I had gotten to bathe.

I shivered as Gandalf came onto the embankment and someone came over to me and put something warm and cosy around my shoulders. I turned to see Thorin standing there and looked down at what had been put around my shoulders.

"Thorin, I can't, I do not want to ruin it." I shoved his warm and thick coat off my shoulders and went to hand it back. "You are cold, and I am not. You have a greater need of it than I do." He said as he pushed it back into my hands. I frowned and heard him sigh. He took it from my hands and put it back around my shoulders.

He was standing close to me now, as he helped to put my numb arms into the overly large sleeves. I blushed when I realised how close he was; I could practically smell him. He pushed my other arm into the sleeve and buttoned the buttons. I felt like a child at that time, but I would not have been able to button the coat myself, as my hands were numb and the coat was that large. I looked down as he stood back, as though he were admiring artwork. He smiled slightly.

I huffed. "Do not laugh Thorin." I warned. I heard the chuckle as he backed off and gave the next orders. We were to continue to Rivendell.

I had rode with Fili earlier, but Thorin told me I would ride with him now at the front of the line of dwarves, as the wind was behind us and I should not let myself get colder unless I wanted to become ill.

When he mounted his pony, I went to get behind him as I had done once before. He stopped me and held his hand out.

"You sit here, in front this time." He said. I must have looked shocked because he explained further. "The wind is behind us, it will do you no good to sit behind me. If you sit here" he motioned to the space in front of him "You will be protected from the wind."

I nodded, because it made sense. I grabbed his offered hand and he lifted me into the saddle. It was different, and I felt stiff as I sat there in front of him; he put his arms around me to hold the reins in front of me and kicked his pony onwards. I sat up straight and stiff. I was already tense from the cold, but now I was tense through not wanting lean back against Thorin. I could almost imagine the warmth. Dwarves were much stockier, I had heard, and could therefore withstand the cold much better than humans and hobbits. That along with the amazing amount of hair they were able to grow.

We had been riding for an hour, when all of a sudden my rigid body gave up and I slumped unwillingly against the hard body behind me. I could feel Thorin tense slightly, before relaxing again. I didn't care; I was revelling in the warmth his body provided.

A large hand clasped gently on my shoulder and I sat up with a start. The lull of the pony's movement had relaxed me to the point of sleep and the body behind me had provided a comfortable place to lean against.

Now though, I was sat up straight again, and as I moved I could feel my clothing was still damp. "We're almost at Rivendell," Thorin said as he pointed downwards. I held onto the saddle and peered down. The river had long since gone and was now a deep valley; I could barely see the water below.

Looking in front of us I could see Gandalf following a path, and the path led out of sight and down the hill. We would be going into the valley.

Despite my nap, I was wide awake as I took it the surroundings. I had heard of the beauty of Rivendell but nothing compared to seeing it in person. The river we had crossed earlier today stemmed into a beautiful rushing waterfall, and although it looked like a valley from up top, the further we came into the valley, the more I could see.

There were beautiful stone looking buildings almost built into the backdrop of the cliffs and there seemed to be a mist surrounding it. There was no doubt there was magic here. I could barely keep my mouth closed, but behind me I could hear the Dwarves mumbling about poor structure and architecture, and I could almost imagine Gandalf's smile in front of me.

Gandalf stopped suddenly and Thorin pulled the reins harshly, effectively stopping the rest of the line of dwarves behind us. Gandalf began talking quietly to someone I could not see in a language I could not understand. I knew from my Father that Elves have different several different languages as opposed to the general Westron.

A tall and beautiful male Elf came into view from in front of Gandalf and I had to work to hold in my gasp. I had never seen an Elf before, but they were barely any words for the Elf standing in front of me. The word beautiful did not even begin to describe him.

"Welcome to Rivendell" The Elf said proudly and began to introduce himself. "I am Lord Elrond."

Thorin dismounted behind me. "I do not believe we have met," His voice was gruff in comparison to the bell-like sound of Lord Elrond's. I watched Lord Elrond smile as Thorin brought himself forward, as though he knew who Thorin was. "Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thrain, son of Thror, welcome to Rivendell," He looked towards us, his eyes lingering on me before looking behind me, to where the rest of the Company were. "Welcome all of you."

He began to walk down the path and Gandalf began to follow him. Thorin quickly mounted the pony behind me and we followed Gandalf down the pathway.

I was not paying much attention, I had heard Lord Elrond call Thorin by his full names, and I was sure I had heard of part of it before, especially the names Thrain or Thror, but I couldn't remember their importance, or why I had heard of them before.

I was drawn back to reality when I heard Lord Elrond begin to give out orders. We had arrived in Rivendell, and the buildings were even more wonderful up close. There were many elves coming forth now, all with things to do. Lord Elrond was speaking in his own tongue and I could hear the Dwarves complaining behind me.

"What did he say," one said, outraged.

He calmed down quickly when Gandalf replied.

"I believe he is offering you food, Balin."

Several elves came forward, both male and female and took our bags and horses away. A female elf in particular took my small bag and gestured with her hand to follow her. I looked warily at Thorin who simply nodded his head encouragingly.

It turned out she was taking me to my room, in a different part of the building to where the male dwarves would be staying. She told me her name was Kilieth and that she would be here if I needed anything.

The room I was shown into was as beautiful as the rest of the valley, the main chamber was open and I had a balcony with views of the river and the grassy lands beneath. I had not noticed when walking here, but we had come quite a way up.

"There is a warm bath waiting for you in there my Lady," She pointed towards a room I had yet to see. "If you leave your clothes on the bed they will be mended and cleaned and returned to you." She put a dress of some sort onto the bed and showed me where the soaps and cloth to dry myself with were. I thanked her graciously before she left. I couldn't wait to have a warm bath; it had been years since I had been able to indulge in bathing in warm water, much less since someone had drawn me a bath.

I stripped my damp clothes quickly and left them in a pile on the floor. There was a privacy curtain which I pulled quickly around the large metal tub. Stepping into the water, I could feel years' worth of grime coming off my body; river water alone could only clean so much. There was plenty of soap provided, with lovely scents, and some kind of hair soap as well, which Kilieth had said would remove tangles and knots. I would have liked to have relaxed, to sooth my aching muscles and clean my body thoroughly but the water cooled quickly and I had to quickly lather my body in soap, I had no desire to be in cold water twice in one day.

Someone had come in whilst I was bathing, silently of course, and taken my dirty clothes away, along with my shoes and replaced them with a long blue Elvish gown and robe. There were some simple brown leather boots where my old ones had been, with laces up the fronts and a thin sole. They were light, much lighter than leather and they slipped on my feet easily enough. The gown and robe were beautiful. The gown came to just the tip of my boot and I realised it must not have been made for an elf; otherwise it would have been touching the floor due to elves being so tall. The robe was slightly longer, with wide sleeves. I had never worn such an elegant outfit in my life.

I sighed as I sat down on the bed and waited for Kilieth to come and collect me for supper.

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**Dwarrow- Multiple Dwarves**

**Westron- General language for Middle Earth**


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